Heroes and Zeros: Natalie Hawkins vs Rudy Giuliani

This week’s hero is a mother who is tired of the Internet bullying her daughter, and the zero is a politician who doesn’t know his history.

Hero – Natalie Hawkins

When you are a mother, there is only so much you can take when you see your child hurting. The initial instinct is to protect this person that you brought into the world, physically and emotionally. Gabby Douglas’ mother, Natalie Hawkins, did just that this week when she let the haters know that they need to stop criticizing her daughter for every little step she takes.

Hawkins did not hold back standing up for the gymnast who had an exceptional run in this year’s Olympic Games in Rio. The situation climaxed after Douglas was criticized for allegedly having a bad attitude during the sporting event. After seeing and hearing all the things people had to say about her daughter, Natalie to put the bullies in check in a statement to Reuters.

“She’s had to deal with people criticizing her hair, or people accusing her of bleaching her skin. They said she had breast enhancements, they said she wasn’t smiling enough, she’s unpatriotic. Then it went to not supporting your teammates. Now you’re ‘Crabby Gabby’… You name it and she got trampled. What did she ever do to anyone?”

The Internet is such a harsh place, and when you’re in the spotlight, people think you are fair game. I love that Hawkins didn’t just brush it off or chalk it up to the price of fame. When it comes down to it, the way people went in on Gabby is uncalled for. With that, there are times when remaining quiet is not the thing to do. You have to stand up for yourself sometimes, and Hawkins stepped in to put things in perspective.

It is a shame that people are so hell bent on being negative. It really shows how we choose where to put our energies. We can so easily choose to be supportive, proud and positive.

The Internet is a place where folks believe that anything goes. That should not be the case. Too often someone needs to “read” the cowards who are so big and bad behind a computer screen. Natalie Hawkins did it and was right on point.

For telling the haters to back down and, essentially, get a life, Gabby Douglas’ mother is a hero.

Zero – Rudy Giuliani

For the life of me, I cannot explain what is wrong with these politicians when it comes to their claims about, well, everything. The latest “good ole boy” to make totally historically inaccurate statements about President Obama and terrorism, in an attempt to make the GOP look better, is former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He is this week’s zero because he opened his mouth and said, pretty much, that 9/11 didn’t happen.

That is how many people, including some victims and victims’ families, are interpreting the statement he made below:

“Under those eight years before Obama came along, we didn’t have any successful radical Islamic terrorist attack in the United States. They all started when (Hillary) Clinton and Obama got into office.”

I am sorry. Rudy, weren’t you mayor of New York when 9/11 happened? How in the world can you deny that the strategic take down of the Twin Towers via commercial airplanes that were full of innocent people and flown by terrorists wasn’t an act of terror? More than that, it happened eight years before Barack Obama took office and the president at the time was a Republican who many say stole the presidency.

His comments were a part of a speech he gave at a Trump rally in Ohio, a gathering where Trump spewed his radical Islamophobia rhetoric. What he and the rest of the right winged Republicans are trying to do is reframe 9/11, and other significant events that happened under their administration, in the minds of those who are gullible enough to fall for it.

Of course, a Trump spokesperson tried to explain away what Giuliani said by stating what he meant, but what we have to remember is that these people are master manipulators. So even mentioning that lie plants a seed in the minds of people who don’t know any better.

It was extremely negligent for this career politician to make that kind of statement. In an attempt to discredit and bash Hilary Clinton, he made himself look insensitive and like a total ass.

It scares me daily to think of the kind of men who may one day soon run this country. The way that Trump and supporters like Giuliani are willing to say anything to get attention continues to change the face of our democratic system and not in a good way.

Founder of The CurvyGirl Diva Blog, Rasheda lends her opinions and insights about everything from life, fashion, entertainment and pop culture to various websites and blogs. Her motto “don't be afraid of telling your truth” guides her writing and her life.